Domestic violence (DV) shelters are a worldwide service for adults experiencing intimate partner violence and for their children. However, there is very little comparative research on shelters.
This study is based on an international network for DV shelter research, which originated at the European Conference on Domestic Violence (ECDV) in Iceland in 2023. Johanna Hietamäki (THL) brought together researchers studying shelters for people experiencing intimate partner violence.
Twenty-four researchers participated in the first meeting of the shelter research network in March 2024. During the meeting, a voluntary group of four researchers offered to plan the network’s early-phase activities and to begin preparing an international comparative shelter study.
Goals
The objective of the study is to compare DV shelter operations, populations served, and programs offered in different parts of the world.
The short-term goal is to provide comparative pilot evidence regarding shelter functioning, populations served, and programs offered across select continents. The long-term goal is to use the pilot data for feasibility evidence to receive international funding for research on state and adequacy of DV shelters worldwide, across all continents
Implementation
Data will be collected through structured interviews with 70–100 directors of domestic violence shelters in participating countries. In each country, 1–2 researchers will conduct interviews with five shelter directors, selecting through a convenience sampling method based on feasibility and where possible diversity.
The Global DV Shelter Questionnaire is adapted from a National Survey developed and used by the National Board of Health & Welfare in Sweden. Permission has been granted for the International Domestic Violence Shelter Research Network to adapt and use this questionnaire. Most of the survey questions include coded answer options. The finalized questionnaire was collaboratively developed by members of the network.
Partners
- Margaret Kertesz, University of Melbourne, Australia
- Nazdar Qudrat Abas, Garmian University, Iraq
- Stephanie Holt, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- Lisa Marmion, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- Kristín Hjálmarsdóttir, Iceland
- Muhammad M.Haj-Yahia, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
- Anat Vass, University of Haifa, Israel
- Ludovica Bargellini, University of Palermo, Italy
- Michela de Felice, University of Turin, Italy
- Chisato Kitanaka, Hiroshima University and All Japan Women's Shelter Network, Japan
- Carolina Øverlien, Norwegian centre for violence and traumatic stress studies, Norway
- Nora Ruud, Norwegian centre for violence and traumatic stress studies, Norway
- Natalie Södelind, Linköping University, Sweden
- Sara Skoog Waller, Uppsala University, Sweden
- Felicia Forthmeiier, Marie Cedershiöld University, Sweden
- Laura Aßmann, Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences, Germany
- Mojškerc, Nataša, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Jasna Podreka, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Tomomi Hisasue, THL
- Tampereen yliopisto, Finland
- Mei-Kuei Yu, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan
- Kelly Bracewell, University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom
- John Devaney, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Claire Houghton, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Judith McFarlane, Texas Woman's University, USA
- Angeles Nava, Texas Woman's University, USA
Contact details
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